This invention pertains generally to the fabrication of semiconductor devices and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for generating important chemical species in the deposition, etching, cleaning, and growth of various materials and layers.
It is in general an object of the invention to provide a new and improved chemical generator and method for generating chemical species at or near the location where they are to be used.
Another object of the invention is to provide a chemical generator and method of the above character which are particularly suitable for generating chemical species for use in the fabrication of semiconductor devices.
These and other objects are achieved in accordance with the invention by providing a chemical generator and method for generating a chemical species at or near a point of use such as the chamber of a reactor in which a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer is to be processed. The species is generated by creating free radicals, and combining the free radicals to form the chemical species at or near the point of use.